After four seasons, 83 games and two Final Four appearances, Davies left Florida as one of the most accomplished midfielders in program history. But when she reflects on her time with the Gators, what stands out isn’t her many accolades, goals or broken records. It’s the team.
Florida lacrosse’s 2026 season was defined by an aggressive transition offense, late comebacks and an inability to give up. Though it aspired to participate in the national championship match, Florida ended the season 15-4, 5-0 Big 12 and did not advance past the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
The Gators (15-3) fell to the Pioneers (15-3), 16-8, at Prentup Field in Boulder, Colorado. The loss marked Florida’s first-ever loss to Denver and the end of its season.
No. 9 Florida (15-3, 5-0 Big 12) will travel to Boulder, Colorado, to play No. 13 Denver Pioneers (15-3, 6-0 Big East) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday at 9 p.m.
After a weather delay that spanned more than 3 hours, the No. 1-seed Gators fell to No. 2-seed Colorado in upset fashion, 8-6, as the Buffaloes stormed to their first Big 12 Tournament championship in program history on Saturday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
No. 1 seed Florida (15-2, 5-0 Big 12) earned its spot in the Big 12 Tournament championship match with a definitive 22-7 win over No. 4 UC Davis (7-9, 2-3 Big 12) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Thursday evening.
With one more match in the regular season, Florida lacrosse was off to a slow start. In the first frame, the Gators only totalled two goals, courtesy of senior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies and freshman attacker Autumn Blair.
No. 5 Florida (13-2, 4-0 Big 12) topped Cincinnati (8-8, 0-4 Big 12) 16-5 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to clinch its second straight Big 12 regular-season title.
The No. 5 Gators (11-2, 3-0 Big 12) pushed past the Dolphins (9-4, 4-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) 12-11 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in their final non-conference game of the season to extend their winning streak to nine games.
As No. 6 Florida lacrosse (11-2, 3-0 Big 12) reaches the midseason mark, the team’s dynamic has shifted, including a revolving door of starting goalkeepers and draw specialists, but one of the most notable differences is Autumn’s impact.
Behind the strong start, the No. 6 Gators (11-2, 3-0 Big 12) overwhelmed San Diego State (2-11, 0-3 Big 12) 18-6 to take their third conference win of the season.
Behind Hamilton, Florida lacrosse (10-2) extended its winning streak to seven games Wednesday afternoon after a 14-8 victory over USF (8-4) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Coming into Saturday’s matchup, it was strength versus strength. No. 7 Florida entered with the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense, averaging 16.6 goals per game. No. 16 Colorado countered with the No. 1 scoring defense, allowing just over six goals per contest.
On Sunday, following a 24-hour delay due to a bee infestation at the Sun Devils Lacrosse Stadium, the No.7 Gators (8-2, 1-0 Big 12) topped Arizona State (5-7, 0-1 Big 12) 14-8 in Tempe, Arizona.
No. 7 Gators lacrosse (7-2) had a slow start to their season, starting off with a loss to No. 17 Michigan. Over time, however, Florida shook the rust off and focused on its team dynamic.
It was evident early Saturday that Florida lacrosse was in for a battle. Its opponent, Dartmouth, kept pushing the Gators all afternoon, even shutting out UF for the final eight minutes of the third quarter.
Florida lacrosse has faced a gauntlet in non-conference play to kick off its 2026 season. After four ranked games in which UF went 2-2, the Gators had one more tune-up game before their monumental clash against No. 1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill Tuesday.
Behind Hamilton’s efforts, the No. 7 Gators (4-2, 0-0) bounced back to secure a dominant 18-9 victory over No. 25 Penn Quakers (2-3, 1-0) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Women's lacrosse has endured some fundamental game-play rule changes. Now, over a month into Florida’s season, the athletes and the coaching staff have had to adapt their strategies to adhere to the new regulations.
After struggling on their home turf so far this season, Gators lacrosse was itching to leave Donald R. Dizney Stadium with their first win Saturday afternoon.
Solutions by The State News
